Kelly Miller is a 35-year veteran in the Destination Leadership space. From Juneau to Atlanta to Asheville to Tampa to Surf City USA, he has left an indelible mark on our sector with innovative thinking and strategies that are so far beyond the box that there isn’t a box. In this episode, Kelly shares his journey, his stories…and, in his amazing Bonus Round, the tale behind his completion of the 21 stages of the Tour de France. Join us.

This weekend marks the 50th Anniversary of Cadillac MI High School welcoming the then-fledgling band known as Kiss to play at their Homecoming Dance. Cadillac’s Kathy Morin joins DMOU to tell the back story and how her community has prepared for this weekend’s festivities. But, Kiss is just a small part of the Cadillac story…and we go deeper into her work with developing sustainable trail policies that go beyond seasonality and developing a decidedly non-silo approach to community development. Join us.

Pure Michigan is one of (if not) the most iconic tourism marketing brands in history, completely transcending logo or tagline. Kelly Wolgamott joins us for a fascinating conversation covering the origins of the campaign, its future vision…and its entrance into the fragrance space to allow destination fans and the curious to experience the scents of Pure Michigan. And, insights into how the voice of the brand is being expanded for future generations. Join us.

What started out as an invitation to Discovery Albany CEO Jill Delaney to discuss her recent CDME paper evolved into a wide ranging discussion that included how she and her organization have had a meaningful impact on hospitality workforce development in her community. How she has, over the past 7 years, reframed the organization’s importance in the eyes of local investors. And yes…the research she did regarding the long standing debate between DMO Membership vs. Partnership (spoiler alert: there is no one-size-fits-all answer). Join us for this fascinating conversation.

Over the past 40 years, Sports Tourism has grown into a juggernaut for many destinations across North America. Most of the economic impact statistics have focused on participatory Sports Tournament events. But there is another facet of Sports Tourism that has previously gone undocumented… and that is Spectator Sports events. On this edition of DMOU, we welcome John David, the CEO of Sports ETA to share findings of this landmark study as well as his take on how virtually every community can benefit from the Sports Tourism economy. Join us.

Every few years, Destinations International commissions a study to help Destination Leadership understand, interpret and marshal the future. Called the Futures Study and conducted by MMGY NextFactor, this year’s edition stakes out new ground and strongly suggests tactics for future success. On this episode of DMOU, we welcome Cassandra McAuley to discuss the methodology, findings and recommendations of this breakthrough edition of the Futures Study. Join us…and secure your copy, pronto.

On this edition of DMOU, we welcome Destination Door County CEO Julie Gilbert to discuss how under-managed tourism had begun to challenge the summer retreat of my youth. A half a century ago, Door County was a quaint, easy to maneuver vacation destination for those of us who had discovered these unique villages. As she arrived in 2021, it was clear that action was needed to preserve paradise. In this episode, we’ll discuss Sustainability, Community Relations and developing a substantial Grant Program that endears the DMO to its residents. Join us.

As is our custom on DMOU, we annually feature the incoming Chair of Destinations International to outline their agenda for the coming year. And Leslie Bruce does just that in this episode…but we go much deeper to explore her work in working with her community through Radical Collaboration on an initiative called Lead Tourism for Good. And, we discuss her work with the 7 indigenous nations in Banff and Lake Louise to empower indigenous entrepreneurs to launch new businesses in the community. Join us.

Sacramento is a city that had traditionally looked to meetings and conventions as its target market; after all, it is the State Capital. But Visit Sacramento CEO Mike Testa saw that as a one-trick pony approach. In this conversation on DMOU, you’ll hear Mike’s take on building a leisure brand based on culinary excellence and major magnet events that have transformed Sacramento’s image as a government town. It’s a very cool conversation. Join us.

Stuart Butler likes to stir the pot as host of the Destination Discourse podcast. And, since joining Visit Myrtle Beach as Chief Marketing Officer four years ago, he’s been shaking up the way that destination’s marketing lives and breathes to considerable success. Join us for a lively conversation spanning the future of search, consumer choice and destination websites, travel accessibility, launching a TV show on Peacock, publishing a children’s book and developing a line of merchandise to extend the Myrtle Beach lifestyle brand even further.